Savings with Style!

Start Saving with Style with Southern Coupon Belle! I'm now COUPONING IN CoMo!
What happens when a Coupon Expert in one region of the USA moves to another area of the country? I have started over learning new stores, coupon policies and building a reasonable stock pile and savings routine from scratch since October 1, 2011. I was an expert in Atlanta and the South but now happily reside in Columbia, Missouri!

I've searched other blogs and sites but I can't find someone else in my shoes so hopefully reading how I started over can help you! Whether you are a seasoned couponer in a new area OR a beginner- I know I can help walk you through what to do and help you start saving big! Starting over has made me realize how newbies to coupons feel and made me walk a grocery store aisle or two in a beginner's shoes again! Email me at southerncouponbelle@gmail.com and let me know how I can help! Thanks for reading and taking this journey with me!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Wow is right! 90% off Restaurant.com today only!

Use the code: WOW and get a $25 gift certificate for $1!
The site is super slow right now but keep trying for this once a year great deal from Restaurant.com!
I haven't checked out yet but I'm getting 14 gift certificates for $13.90!
I even found a restaurant in downtown Canton that was featured on Diners, Drive Ins and Dives!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

$5/$25 Dollar General Coupon on Facebook!

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Get it while you can because these go fast!
Go to Dollar General's Facebook page and print your $5 off $25 coupon to use Thursday, September 30th through Saturday, October 2nd.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Get your papers tomorrow!! FOUR Inserts!

Don't forget to buy your papers tomorrow- 4 inserts!
1 Smart Source, 1 Red Plum, 1 Hasbro and 1 Proctor and Gamble
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50% off GAP 1969 Jeans tomorrow only 12-3

Found this on Twitter-
Flash us your jeans! In stores tomorrow, noon to 3pm! Get 50% off all 1969 jeans. Say FLASH at checkout

Free Kobari Beef at Panda Express- 9/29 only!

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Go to Panda Express's Facebook page and you can print a coupon for a free single serving of Kobari Beef good on Wednesday, September 29th only! No purchase necessary!

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Living Smart 101: Saving while Traveling

We love to travel and we are fortunate to have a "balanced" school calendar where we get a week off every 6-7 weeks of school. We are in the middle of our Fall Break and usually we are at the beach. However, my husband's work is crazy but we did manage to sneak away for a quick vacation. Here are some of my tips when we travel to still have a great time but save money!

1. Do your research.
I found a resort near Pigeon Forge, TN that features an indoor water park! I researched their website which told me what a wonderful time we would have, how great their restaurants were and how clean and spacious their rooms are. OF COURSE! So I went to some travel sites and read what recent visitors really had to say. And make sure you pay more attention to the most recent reviews because resorts can change very quickly whether it's wear and tear or change in management/ownership.
2. Use your social network.
Next, I went out on Facebook and asked if anyone has stayed there. I immediately got reviews and tips from several friends that had visited or knew someone that had. You have a vast wealth of knowledge and opinion on your social networks so use them! And when a friend asked about something- throw your two cents out there to help them make decisions. Through my friends, I found out how clean the waterpark was, how protected the park was with lifeguard coverage, how nice the rooms were but how the food wasn't that great and overpriced. These opinions definitely weighed in on the rest of my planning.
3. Be flexible.
Once we decided we wanted to try the resort- I played around with their online reservation system. Because we could be flexible, I was able to change the dates around to see how the rate of the room would vary. Wilderness was actually really cool online by showing you when discounts would be the greatest for the month. Going on Sunday versus Saturday saved us money!
4. Talk to a live person.
Automated reservations are great but call and speak to someone! Specifically ask if there is a better deal, better code for the time you want to travel. This resort specifically had a deal that you had to call in to get but I would have called regardless. Also ask for a deal if you pay up front or change your dates a little.
We got our 2nd night at 50% the rate by calling and speaking with a representative.
5. Ask questions about the "perks" offered with your reservation.
There were a lot of perks for staying at this resort but not a lot of detail up front. There was a Kids Eat Free twice a day (but we knew the food wasn't worth it), free attraction tickets and discounts to area stores and restaurants. But I had to ask to get the specifics. I found out which attractions we could get tickets for and found out it was an adult ticket for this attraction, a child ticket to that attraction etc. Finding out the details helped us decide if we would take advantage of these tickets or not before telling the kids. I was able to do some research also and find out how much it would cost to buy the necessary tickets for the family to go again before making any promises. Getting the details upfront, doing some surfing on the web prevents you from making a last minute decision or making that promise that ended up costing more than the attraction was worth. And also- taking out the appeal of the Kids Eat Free when you can check out the menus online, the pricing and receiving advice from friends or reviews that have been there. Sometimes Kids Eat Free is just a bait and not a savings.
6. Mapping out the place before you get there.
I checked on the Wilderness website and got to see a layout of our room. By doing so, I was able to find out we had a frig, microwave, coffee maker and a stove top. I also was able to request, again from a review; a room under the "30s" which would place us close to the indoor water dome. Being so close allowed Mike to keep an eye on work, quick runs back to the room for snacks, lunch, a nap and we weren't wasting time walking from one end of the building to the other. It also allowed us to bring breakfast and snack items plus drinks. And of course, with a good stockpile then I was able to offer a variety of snacks and goodies to make the trip fun and the girls don't even realize we are saving money. A microwave or a coffee machine allows you to heat water for tea, grits or oatmeal and even coffee! A quick run to the grocery store for Krispy Kreme doughnuts, some bananas and breakfast was done! I also brought yogurts, microwave popcorn, chips, dip etc. And make sure you pack napkins, paper products, cups and utensils so you are set to knock out a couple of meals and snacks for close to free!
7. Pay attention to your surroundings around the resort or hotel.
It's always hectic trying to follow directions especially to a new area or a town you haven't been to but while arriving to your destination- pay attention to what's around you. For example, I noticed a Little Caesar's Pizza right down the street from the resort. If you aren't familiar- decent pepperoni or cheese pizza for $5 takeout. The resort had a takeout special on pizza also- $18.99 for a one topping and 2 liter of Pepsi for $18.99+tax+tip+delivery charge. Mike ran down the street, got two pizzas for $10, we bought salad mix at the grocery store, I brought dressing and we had lunch that was cheap! And it worked because the girls were not interested in wasting waterpark time going out for lunch or spending a whole lot of time on the process. We could heat up the leftovers and ended up having lunch right before we checked out and hit the road on Tuesday.
8. Never travel without your coupons.
I don't take them all but I do make sure I have my folder of restaurant coupons and my restaurant.com coupons. And I checked the area for www.restaurant.com coupons to print before we left. Restaurant.com allows you to see menus, pricing and you can figure out quickly if your $25 gift certificate will go a little or a long way. My girls love salad and specifically asked for a salad bar the 2nd night we were there. We had a Ruby Tuesday's right down the road from the resort. The girls were exhausted from playing all day so Mike did takeout, got a huge salad but mostly toppings because we had the mentioned salad mix so he didn't waste space on lettuce. We had a "Hotel Picnic" which the girls love and they ate a ton. I had a 25% off Ruby Tuesday coupon, we didn't waste money on drinks and the tip was much less on takeout. We also learned an interesting lesson. Had we all gone to the restaurant, we would have ordered for each of us. We did 1 platter with sides and the salad. It was PLENTY of food for ALL four of us!
9. Pack a cooler and a ziploc of ice for the road.
We pack ice, water and drinks so we can keep moving and not wasting time stopping for a snack or drink. It also helps keep everything cool on the way. We fill the same bag up with ice when we are checking out for the ride back.
10. Stay out of the gift shop!
What the girls don't know won't hurt them and that's generally the case with gift shops. Everything becomes a want that we know we'll find in a corner of the playroom or hanging in the closet never worn that often. And if you can't avoid it- then set a limit or make your child wait until the last day to purchase something. Tell them to make a list, rank it and then at the end of the visit- they can decide on one thing within the limit you set earlier. The girls always end up with something but by making them wait, they make wiser choices in the end.
11. Look for free fun to make the trip more exciting.
One thing I try to do before a trip is find new free apps for their ITouch. They get surprised and I even found a free waterslide game for them to play on the way! I also researched our route and found out that Mayfield Dairy was on the way and we stopped on the way home for a free tour. The girls loved it!
12. Make lists of what you need to bring!
It's never too early to start packing or make lists of what needs to be packed. It's my goal when packing that I don't spend time looking for a Walmart because someone forgot their bathing suit or I didn't pack the sunscreen. Preparation prevents time wasted and money spent!

Trips are fun and most often are going to cost a lot of money. But reality sets in when you get that credit card bill a month later and the trip is long gone. Trying to stay in a saving mindset without compromising on fun and experiences make our trips much more interesting and no one feels like they missed a thing!
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Michael's American Girl Event this Saturday!

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Take your daughter to Michael's this Saturday, September 25th from 10am until 2pm for an American Girl Project Event! Make everything you need to throw a doll sized American Girl Party for FREE while supplies last. Ages 8 and up in US stores only.
How fun!

Monday, September 20, 2010

Print $5 in Campbell's Coupons!!!!

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Go to www.chunky.com and look for the "Click here for $5 in money saving coupons."
Then pick and choose which ones you want to print. I think you can print more than once but do so legit and responsibly!!

Free Icky Bands!

From The Art of Washing Hands, click here or go to: http://www.theartofwashinghands.com/order.html

Free shipping and you can order up to (4) 8 packs of bands while supplies last. Germ based character bands called Icky Bands to remind students to wash and dry their hands.

$10 Coupon for Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue Blue Ray Combo Pack!

Click here or go to: http://www.disneymovierewards.go.com/promotions/special-offers/tink3ptw-coupon

Print coupon for $10 off the Blue Ray Combo Pack! We don't have a Blue Ray player but it's still a good deal for the DVD, we give the BR disk to my inlaws for their house and sometimes they include a digital copy! I checked Walmart online and they have the combo pack for $21.96 (might be slightly higher in the store) so after coupon- $11.96.
Target has the combo pack for $22.99! Coupon expires on 10/03/10.
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Monday, September 13, 2010

30% off 1 item at Old Navy through 9/23!

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Click here or go to: http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/info.do?cid=34939&mlink=5151,2194847,hpCpn&clink=2194847

Coupon good through September 23rd!

Get Fresh with a Friend with Cottonelle Wipes!

Go here or to: www.getfreshwithafriend.com
Enter your information and send an email to a friend. You both will get a coupon for a free tub of Cottonelle wipes in 3-4 weeks via mail.

Site can be hard to load- I'm sure the volume and activity but keep trying!

Get fresh with a friend!
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Grab your papers if you haven't already!! RUN!

In case you forgot about getting Sunday papers yesterday- try to find papers today. There were FIVE inserts in the paper yesterday here in Atlanta.

1 Publix, 1 General Mills, 2 Smart Source and 1 Red Plum. Tons of coupons so don't miss out! You'll hate it when you print your lists and realize you don't have all the coupons from September 12th!

And remember- you aren't clipping them all out at once if you use the bin system. Just date each insert and keep them in chronological order in a bin with the most recent inserts on top. Print your lists, cut the coordinating coupons and you are ready to SAVE!!
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Friday, September 10, 2010

Free Shipping at Oriental Trading.com

For orders over $49.00. Here are the details:
*Don't miss out! Order online by 11:59 p.m. CT, September 14, 2010, to get free standard shipping on your purchase of $49 or more, within the contiguous U.S. Shop any link in this email, or enter key code WCE9777 during checkout. Only one offer allowed per order.

Happy Halloween Shopping!

80% at Restaurant.com

Get a $25 Gift Certificate for $2 at restaurant.com using the code: TOUCHDOWN now through Monday, September 13th!

Saturday, September 4, 2010

The Results are in and WOW- I'm in AWE!

Remember that $100 Cellfire gift card that Harry in California won from the website? I challenged him to document how far he could make that gift card to Von's stretch and here are the results! A*M*A*Z*I*N*G

Click here or go to: http://prohomemaker.com/?p=502

And take time to check out all his great tips, recipes and favorite blogs. He likes my blog so we KNOW he has good taste! HAHA

No Coupons this weekend!

Just a friendly reminder that due to the holiday weekend- there will be no coupons in this Sunday paper! Have a great holiday weekend!
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Way to Max that $5 off 5 Select Kraft Items Coupon

I just posted here or scroll down a few posts about the link for a printable $5 off 5 select items from Kraft.

Coupon doesn't expire until October but I found a way today to make that coupon even better. Publix has Kraft shredded cheese or singles for $4 for 2. Breakstone sour cream is $2/2 or $1.00 each. By the shredded cheese in our store, was a blinkie with Kraft coupons- $1/2. So we grabbed 2 blinkie coupons, bought 2 shredded cheeses, 2 singles and 1 sour cream. To test the system, we gave the $5/5 coupon first and the blinkies in the back of the coupon pile so if the system rejected them- we just wouldn't use them but all the coupons went through without any problems.

So we bought 4 packs of cheese and 1 sour cream for $9 and got $7 off from coupons.
Check your Publix to see if they have the blinkie machines and take advantage of this deal before the sales change next week!

Holy Coupons: Great Saturday Shops!

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Great day for shopping at Kroger and Publix! I got 49 items for $35.94 and saved $90.49 for a total savings of 60% off! And there was $10.00 in meat so if you take the meat away which was not part of the lists at Couponmom.com- I actually saved 71% off!

And you can see from the picture- lots of good products like pancake mix, Newman's Own Pasta sauce, deodorant etc.

Read in a few minutes how I used the $5 of 5 select Kraft products and made the deal even sweeter- $9 in items and $7 back from coupons. I'll explain in detail in the next post.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Gluten Free Recipes- free ebook

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I have a ton of friends that either have to OR want to convert their households into a Gluten Free lifestyle. I've actually thought about a modified version for my house.

Click here or go to: http://www.favediets.com/Gluten-Free/42-Easy-Gluten-Free-Recipes-Free-eCookbook#

Hope you find it interesting!

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Ziploc Fall Meals Gift Pack Offers!

Just got my email- click here or go to: http://www.rightathome.com/Offers/Pages/ZiplocFallMealsGiftPack.aspx

Open to the first 10,000 to respond so hurry! You never know if you got in or not but it's fun when the package arrives!

Good Luck!!

Free Sample of Shout Color Catcher Sheets

Click here or go to: http://www.shoutitout.com/coupon/06-10-shoutsample/

Once you fill out the form, there is a link to print an additional .55 cent coupon!

SUPER Kraft $5 off 5 Select Products

Thank you Harry Martin for sending me the link to this great coupon.
Click here or go to: http://brands.kraftfoods.com/kraftcheese/index.html

It's all a part of their Huddle for Hunger Program. When you use your coupon, Kraft will donate 5 meals to Feeding America.

What a great coupon, you wait to match it with sales- I'll let you know what I find and it doesn't expire until October 1st. And you are helping out a great cause! Thanks Kraft!!

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Cool Deal from Groupon!

Have you not bought a Groupon yet? I haven't but we used one in Chicago that my sister bought when we drove up Spring Break. Here's a great deal I got today:

Click here or go to: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu7077433

I just did a great deal for Sushi lessons at a great restaurant near our house for $45 and I will get the $15 back into my account!

It's time to get your Groupon!
The best way to get great deals in your city is now even better—just for you.

Buy your first Groupon before September 8 and we'll take an extra $15 off the next Groupon you buy.

It's simple.

Just find a great Groupon deal. Learn more
Buy it.
We'll put $15 Groupon Bucks in your account as a credit toward a future Groupon purchase. Best of all, your credit never expires.
100% Guarantee

At Groupon, we stand behind our service with the Groupon Promise. If you ever feel like we let you down, give us a call and we'll refund your purchase-we'd rather have a happy customer than an unhappy customer's money.

Don't forget to buy your Groupon before September 8 to save an extra $15 on your next Groupon. This offer expires September 8.


Sincerely,

Your Friends at Groupon